SMOK Novo Pod Kit Review

Summary: The SMOK Novo is one of those ideal, simple to setup and use kits that will work as an additional device or as a good starter kit.

4

Useful and Simple

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When most people think about the brand SMOK, they think of large powerful mods and the TFV range of tanks. The SMOK Novo Kit is about as far from that as you can get. It’s a compact MTL pod system with high resistance coils and low power. There’s a lot of similar looking devices already on the market today and it will be interesting to see if SMOK have something in the Novo that will make it stand out in this crowded sector of the market. It comes in a wide range of colours and I have the Red Cobra version here to test. It’s a great looking red snakeskin effect finish and I’m hoping it vapes as good as it looks.

Build Quality and Specifications

Opening the box I’m really pleased to see that two
replacement pods are included. One has a 1.2 ohm coil and the other is a
1.5ohm. I’ve seen there’s also a 1.4 ohm pod available separately. They might
not sound that different in resistances but with a non-variable power device
like the Novo, the coils will help you fine tune the vape to your own
preference. The pods hold a TPD compliant 2ml and have an ergonomically shaped
mouth piece built in. There’s a micro USB cable for charging the built in 450
mAh battery and a user manual. Stated wattage is between 10 and 16 watts
depending on the battery output which will drop as it drains.

It’s a very compact size and shape, it stands
around 88mm tall, 24mm wide and only 14mm thick. There’s an automatic draw
feature, so you only need to inhale through the mouthpiece for the device to
fire. There’s no buttons or anything, just a small LED that will flash when the
battery gets below 3.3v, telling you that it’s time to re-charge. Charging is
through a standard micro USB at the bottom of the Novo. Overall it feels solid
and well made, nothing rattles or feels cheap, while being lightweight and easy
to slip into a pocket.

Pod Flavour and Performance

Filling the pods is a fairly simple affair, there’s a little rubber bung in the side of the pod that you lift up to reveal the fill hole. It’s big enough to get most standard bottle tips in, although it is much easier with the thinnest type found on typical 10ml bottles. I have some Dinner Lady salt liquids to test with and they are flavours I’m familiar with. After filling you simply push the pod into the top of the Novo.

First impressions on both pods is very good, the draw activation system works well and there’s no noticeable delay when you take a puff. Flavour is impressive and the bold taste of both the Lemon Tart and Blackberry Crumble comes over strong and well defined. On a fully charged battery the 1.2 ohm coil feels like I’m vaping at the full 16w, the 1.5 feels a little lower around 12w. It’s quite a difference in power when vaping MTL, so the different pods will allow you to get a vape that’s best for you. Overall they are impressive little pods that give great flavour and put out a good amount of satisfying vapour.

Overall Performance and summary

If you are looking for one of the smallest and easiest to use pod-systems then I think the SMOK Novo is up there with the best of them. The vaping experience is very good and the draw is firmly on the MTL side, although it might feel fairly loose for some. It’s a comfortable draw though and I soon got used to it. The mouthpiece is one of the most comfortable I’ve ever used and the auto-fire is quick and feels very responsive.

Battery life was great considering it’s only 450 mAh and it was lasting me all day with a high nicotine liquid. If you vape a lot during the day, that might not be the case but being a fairly small capacity, the device is also extremely quick to charge. Although there’s no buttons or screens to worry about, the Novo does have the usual short circuit protection and low voltage protection, as well as an 8 second continuous use cut off.

If there’s any negatives to talk of then I would say it’s not always the quickest and easiest device to fill, the little rubber bung can be a bit fiddly, but that aside the performance is excellent overall. It’s a very enjoyable device to use and carry around. With no button press needed to active it, I think this would be an ideal first device for a smoker. The automatic, manual draw system will feel very natural to them. Seasoned vapers may find the lack of features disappointing but really the Smok Novo’s simplicity is also its biggest strength.